No more visas-on-arrival for Indians in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, May 30: Tourists arriving from India and Bangladesh will no more be given visas-on-arrival in Malaysia (VOA) and they must must have a two-week social visit pass and a return ticket if they wish to visit the country. Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said the proposed new ruling was part of measures taken to overcome the problem of illegal immigrants.

"The social visit pass replaces the VOA which was discontinued in April," he said during his winding-up of the debate on the King's Royal Address on Thursday. Under the VOA, 208,451 tourists were allowed in from January till March this year. The social visit pass must be obtained at the tourists' home country. There are 2.1 million foreign workers in the country, of which 1.1 million are from Indonesia, 330,000 from Bangladesh, 260,000 Nepalese and 140,000 Indians.

Syed Hamid said although foreign workers had contributed tremendously to the economy, they were also the cause of social ills, illegal squatters and diseases such as tuberculosis. He also said that the Internal Security Act (ISA) would not be abolished nor will the 70 detainees be taken to court.

"The detainees will only be released based on the advice of a committee and with the consent of the minister and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong," the NST online quoted Hamid, as saying.